Boston Red Sox News & Notes – 8/12

Kevin Youkilis, left, of the Red Sox charged the mound and tackled Detroit pitcher Rick Porcello after being hit by a pitch in the second inning of Tuesday night's game at Fenway Park. Tigers first baseman Ryan Raburn tried to get in the middle, but Youkilis took Porcello to the ground. Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis

The Boston Red Sox showed a little fight last night at Fenway Park as they overcame a 3-0 deficit and came back to beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 to give Junichi Tazawa his first MLB win.

Tazawa had a rough go of things early on although he’s not totally to blame. A Nick Green throwing error on a double play ball in the first inning seemingly would have gotten them out of the inning. Instead the Tigers were able to get three runs.

But Tazawa settled in and kept the Tigers at bay over his final four innings. He left the game before 6th after throwing 94 pitches in 5 innings. Most of those came in the first inning when he should have been out of the inning after 15 pitches or so. He ended up finishing with six strikeouts on the evening including three straight Tigers to end the 4th and start the 5th.

Tazawa did hit Miguel Cabrera with a pitch on an 0-2 count in the 1st inning. Tigers starter Rick Porcello responded in the bottom of the 1st by throwing inside on Victor Martinez who looked glaringly at Porcello before stepping back in the batter’s box.

Kevin Youkilis led off the 2nd inning for the Red Sox and was beaned in the back on the first pitch by Porcello. Youk decided he had had enough of being hit and charged the mound and threw his helmet at Porcello. The helmet missed and Porcello ended on top when Youk tried to take him down. It didn’t look to the naked eye that any punches were thrown.

The interesting thing about the whole situation was that Porcello had only hit one batter all season long, Youkilis, back on June 2nd. Porcello stated after the game that he didn’t intentionally hit Youk but I have to disagree with him on that one. It definitely looked like he hit him on purpose especially given the fact it was the first pitch.

“If I was an ultimate fighter I think I would have had a plan,” Youkilis said. “But I didn’t plan for that to happen. I was going up there trying to have a good at-bat and get on base. I got on base, but it wasn’t the way I like it.”

“It looked like there was intent there,” Youkilis said after the Sox held off the Tigers, 7-5, at Fenway Park, “At some point, you have to protect yourself as a hitter. It’s something I’ve never done before and never thought of ever doing. But at some point, you, well, I lost my control there and I let my emotions get the best of me.

“Two days in a row, and the way it was going, I had had enough of it. At some point, you have to protect yourself as a hitter and for your teammates. I just felt like I had to do what I had to do.”

Check out the video of Youk charging the mound for yourself and make your own observations.

Youk charging the mound seemed to rally the Red Sox as just two batters later they had tied the game on a 3-run homer by Jason Bay. And Mike Lowell, who took over for Youk at third base, came off the bench and hit two home runs, a 2-run shot and a solo shot, to help propel the Red Sox to the win.

Links coming up after a 10-second pause for station ID on the Red Sox blogging network.

Sox show some fight [Boston Globe]

After rough start, smooth sailing [Boston Globe]

Things picked up after takedown [Boston Globe]

Sox Win After Youk’s Ejection [Hartford Courant]

First Major League Win For Red Sox’s Junichi Tazawa [Hartford Courant]

Red Sox optimistic on Lowrie’s injury [RedSox.com]

Beckett looks to continue dominance [RedSox.com]

Veteran Smoltz clears waivers [RedSox.com]

Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell Analyzes the Brawl [Full Count]

Junichi Tazawa: Cool under fire [Full Count]

Youkilis talks about brawl [Full Count]